You Can Hold My Hand
by eva.chrisovitsanousweety
Summary: The relationship between them changed since that day at the sea side but Elsie is keeping a very important secret about her life. Can they always hold hands? Set after Christmas Special of series 4!
1. Making a new start

**A/N: I had an idea in my mind for a few days now and after I've watched the Christmas Special four or five times I decided to put these two together and write a story! It will continue after the last scene of the Christmas Special! I warn you that it will contain spoilers from series 4! Before we continue with the reading, I will tell some basic things about the characters that I had to decide and change in order to write this story. Elsie arrived at Downton in 1893. She has a two years older sister called Annie. Charles is seven years older than Elsie which makes him 68 years old. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine. **

It had been a very lovely day at the sea side and everyone had returned at the house very happy and excited from their day. One by one had said good night and retired to their rooms leaving Elsie and Charles standing alone in the servant's hall. For a while they just stood there without looking each other or saying anything. They were both thinking about the events of the day they had just lived. He had been afraid of relaxing and enjoying the day but she had held out her hand to him and he had taken it gladly. He had nothing to be afraid of with her by his side now. They had held hands and walked in the waters while the waves were getting wet their clothes.

He was the first one to make a move. He turned to look at her and smiled upon seeing her lost in her thoughts with a wide smile on her face that made her look much younger. He noticed that her hair were loose from the usual bun and still wet. "You should go and change your clothes, Mrs. Hughes. We wouldn't want you to catch a summer cold and Downton to lose its housekeeper for a while.", he was concerned about her as he watched her standing in front of him with her wet hair and wet clothes.

She was brought back in reality upon hearing his voice. She smiled warmly after noticing his concern for her in his voice. "You should do the same thing, Mr. Carson. It wouldn't be very good for Downton to have both its butler and housekeeper with a summer cold.", she smiled widely at him and left him there to go to her room.

He just stood there watching her walking away and up the stairs for the servant's rooms. He remembered what had happened to make them return with wet clothes. They had been holding hands and walking in the sea when suddenly he slipped and fell in the water taking her with him. They were quiet for a few moments as they were looking each other before they started laughing. He could tell that they had enjoyed it very much as they had played in the water not caring that their clothes were wet and they didn't have something else to change into.

**/-00-/**

Only two weeks had passed since they all returned to Downton from London. It certainly had been a very excited experience for all of them, especially for the downstairs that had a day off to go to the sea side. They had been two very busy weeks but they were so glad that they were back to their routine. Charles had found the time and the chance only a few days after they had returned to confess his feeling for her and ask her permission to start courting her properly. She had been so overwhelmed by his confess in the beginning but at the end she had confessed her feelings for him and gave him her permission to start courting her properly.

That very first Sunday he had asked Lord Grantham a few hours off for the two of them after the church so they could go for a walk. They had talked about what they liked and a little about their lives with their families. He had noticed how sad and lost in her thoughts she was when she was speaking about her life back at Scotland. He somehow knew that she was hiding something that was very important to her and he only hoped that one day she would trust him enough to confess it to him.

The family had retired early that evening. Charles took the left over wine and went straight to her sitting room. It was something they enjoyed doing all the years they had been working together but now it was something even more special as they could sit together in the settee and she would lean in his embrace. He found her bent over her desk working on some papers and shook his head. She was really working hard since they returned from London and he had noticed that she wasn't looking very well the last few days. He closed the door and placed the wine and the two glasses on the table. "Enough work for tonight, my dear.", he said as he grasped her hand and pulled her up and away from those papers. "You can finish them tomorrow morning. Now we will have a very nice evening together and then go to bed.", he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

She had to admit that she was very grateful at him for making her stop working as she was sure that she would end up sleeping there on her desk, something she would regret very much in the morning. She wasn't feeling very well the last few days and was suspecting that she had caught a summer cold despite trying not to. He noticed that her eyes had a very different sparkle and that her face was flushed. A hand on her forehead confirmed his suspicions and he shook slightly his head. "You have a fever, my darling. I told you that you would catch a cold but you didn't listen to me.", he placed their glasses away and leaded her slowly to her room.

He returned a few minutes later with an aspirin, a bowl with cold water and some flannels. He placed his hand again on her forehead and was surprised to find that her fever had gone up. He made her lie down after taking the aspirin and started placing wet flannels on her forehead to help the fever to come down. He sighed in relief when he noticed that the fever had come down around four o'clock in the morning. He knew very well that she would be up and about in almost three hours and he couldn't stop her. So he decided to let her sleep an hour or two more before starting her day. It was going to be a difficult day for her as she had the interviews for a new kitchen maid as Ivy had left them to go to America. Maybe it was better there for the young girl.

**/-00-/**

Around nine o'clock in the morning her room was filled with a groan as she woke up with her head aching. She knew that she was ill with a summer cold but she had to get up as she had the interviews today and she couldn't be absent. She took a while longer to get ready for the day to start. The first thing she did when she went downstairs was to eat some breakfast and take a powder for the headache and an aspirin in any case to be sure. The first girl for the position of the kitchen maid would arrive around eleven o'clock. That would give her some time to do the paper work she had left last night.

It was nearing lunch time for the servants, already eight young women had been interviewed and she was feeling very very tired. The only thing she wanted was for the day to end so she could go to her room, lie down in her bed and sleep. It was four o'clock as she watched her clock on the wall. She had an interview with a young girl named Blunder, a name that was very familiar to her somehow but she was feeling too tired to think about it right now. A knock on her door made her groan as the sound made her headache worse. "Come in.", she called to the person and continued working on the paper in front of her so she could finish it before starting the interview.

The young girl entered the sitting room with a smile on her face and sat down in the chair across the housekeeper waiting for the woman to finish what she was doing. She couldn't stop smiling upon seeing the older woman so engrossed in her work and she remembered a person she loved very much.

Elsie finally finished what she was doing and put everything unnecessary away in order to start the interview. She kept her pen and her book so she could write whatever information she thought important about the girl. As she turned in her chair to look at the girl and greet her she was stunned at that spot. She was looking at the younger woman with wide eyes and her mouth opened. "Oh my God!", she finally managed to say after a few moments. "Elisabeth Blunder! What are you doing here?", she asked the young girl very confused.

"I came here for the interview,", she smiled widely. "Granny.", she stood up and hugged her grandmother. After a few moments she sat back down while Elsie was confused and didn't know what was happening or what was going to happen.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think of this! Do you want me to continue this? Waiting your opinions, thoughts and ideas.**


	2. A part of the truth

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and they help me write this story! In this chapter we are going to learn a part of the truth Elsie is keeping a secret from everyone! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama isn't mine! If Downton Abbey belonged to me things would be a little different! **

Elsie was still looking at the young woman in front of her very confused and curious. She wanted to know what had happened, why she had come at Downton and what was going to happen if the staff and the family discovered the truth she was keeping a secret all these years. She was afraid that that moment would come one day and she was totally unprepared. "I don't understand, Elisabeth.", she finally said after a few minutes of silence.

The young woman smiled at the older woman. "It's not so complicated, granny. I came here for the interview because I want to work.", she sighed as Elsie was still looking her confused and curious. "I have worked for a year as a kitchen maid and I wanted to come here when I saw that you were searching for a new kitchen maid.", she explained to her and waited for the whole thing to sink inside.

Elsie still couldn't believe what was happening. She sighed heavily, stood up from her desk chair and walked a little until she was standing in the middle of the room. Elisabeth was beginning to get worried about the older woman and went to stand behind her. "Are you alright, granny?", she asked with her voice full of concern. At that moment Elsie lost consciousness and fell backwards. Elisabeth managed to catch her but she couldn't hold the weight for too long and slowly she lowered them on the floor. She tried to wake her up by shaking her but a hand on the forehead made her even more worried about the older woman. "Help!", she shouted for someone to hear her. "Someone help me!", she shouted once more while she was holding the housekeeper in her arms.

Only a few moments later the door of the sitting room opened to reveal the butler and the cook that were looking very surprised, confused and worried. "What happened?", it was Charles that spoke first and kneeled down next to Elsie.

"She just stood up and after a few moments she lost consciousness. I managed to catch her before she could hit the floor.", she knew very well that no one in the house knew about the truth but she couldn't help it. She was very worried about the older woman that was lying unconscious in her arms.

Charles placed a hand on her forehead but pulled it away immediately like he was burned. He stood up quickly and left the sitting room only to return a few minutes later. "I called doctor Clarkson.", he informed them as he lifted Elsie in his arms. "Mrs. Patmore please stay here to wait for the doctor and you can interview the young woman.", he left the sitting room quickly and went upstairs to her room.

As he was changing her clothes, downstairs in the sitting room Beryl was interviewing Elisabeth. The cook had asked her if she had a reference and she watched as the young woman took out of her handbag a note. "Oh my God!", the older woman exclaimed. "You have worked for a member of the royal family?", Elisabeth nodded her head at the question. "You are hired my girl.", the cook told her with a wide smile that faded as soon as she saw the doctor standing in the door way of the sitting room.

Beryl leaded the doctor to the housekeeper's room and stayed there as Charles left the room to leave the doctor do his job. After a few moments the doctor and the cook left the room and stood in front of the butler. "She has a very nasty cold. We have to bring the fever down before she catches pneumonia. Please give her an aspirin every five hours and put compresses on her forehead. I will come back in the evening to check on her. If anything happens call me at once.", he left them standing there lost in their thoughts.

**/-00-/**

Beryl was sitting on the bed placing compresses on the housekeeper's forehead and praying for the fever to break. Suddenly, she started tossing around in her bed and the cook was trying hard to calm her down but she couldn't manage it.

_Only a month ago she had her 20__th__ birthday. It was her first birthday away from her family as she was working as a housemaid in a house in a village of Scotland. It was her day off and she had decided to visit her sister that was married for two years now and had a daughter that was one year old. Elsie loved the little girl and was making her want a baby of her own. She had a lovely day with her sister, her brother-in-law and her niece. She left them when it started darkening outside as she had to arrive early at the house. _

_She was walking quickly to arrive at the house when she heard footsteps behind her. She stopped for a moment but immediately she started walking again very quickly. It was of no use as she was stopped suddenly by a tall and strong man that was looking her with a grin on his face. She tried to pass him and run to the house but he stopped her before she could do another step and dragged her under a large tree. _

_She started straggling to get away from him but the only thing she earned was a punch on her face that made her feel dizzy. She started kicking her legs so she could hit him but that angered him even more and punched her once more on the face. She was feeling the cold on her body as she ripped open her blouse and her corset. He lowered his head on her breasts while his hand was under her skirt on her most sensitive area. _

_She could hear him opening his trousers and saw him pulling out his member as his other hand forced her to open her legs. She didn't understand how quickly it happened but he was inside her in the matter of seconds and it was hurting her so much. She hadn't been with a man before and she didn't want her first time to be like that. She started screaming but it was of no use._

"Nooooo… Get off of me… Noooo…", she was tossing in her bed while the cook was trying to calm her down with no success. Beryl was looking so sad as she could understand what had happened to her friend years ago by hearing her. At that moment the doctor entered the room and she sighed relieved.

He managed to calm her down fifteen minutes later and gave her to drink some water with a powder inside. The cook thanked the doctor for calming her down but they were both very worried as the fever was still very high. "We have to bring the fever down in the next forty eight hours otherwise her weak body won't last and she will catch a pneumonia.", he sighed heavily. He told her to give her an aspirin every four hours and place compresses.

**/-00-/**

Elisabeth started working immediately at the house with Daisy showing everything in the kitchen while the cook was upstairs taking care of the housekeeper until Anna could take over for the cook. She was very worried about the older woman but she couldn't show it so much as no one in the house knew what kind of relationship was bonding the housekeeper and the new kitchen maid.

She only let her tears of concern fall in the evening in the safety of her new room. Once she had stopped crying she decided to write a letter to send it first thing in the morning. She knew very well that the housekeeper wouldn't want that but she couldn't keep someone so dear to the older woman in the dark. She wanted to offer her help and take care of her for a while but she knew she had things to do and someone could discover the hidden secret.

She could see how concerned the butler was about the housekeeper's condition as she served the servant's breakfast. She immediately noticed that he was the man Elsie had told them in her letters. She had noticed the concern, the worry, the fear and the love in his eyes for the older woman. She had to admit that she was very happy that she had found at last the love of her life. She only hoped that she would survive to live the rest of her life with the love of her life.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think! If I manage I will update the next chapter tomorrow or on Sunday! **

**To Be Contunued…**


	3. The other part of the truth

**A/N: I decided to give you a little treat and update chapter 3. The next chapter, though, will be up on Sunday or on Monday! Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and they help me write this story! In this chapter we are going to learn the second and last part of the truth about what had happened with Elsie all these years ago! No one will discover what kind of relationship bonds Elsie and Elisabeth yet! I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine! If Downton Abbey belonged to me some things would be different!**

Twenty four hours had passed since the doctor had come to check on Elsie the previous evening and the fever was still very high. It worried them very much as they had only twenty four hours or so to bring the fever down in order for her not to catch pneumonia. It would be very difficult then for her because of her already weakened organism and her age. The butler and the cook had noticed that the new kitchen maid was very concerned for the housekeeper and she only knew her for a few hours but they didn't suspect anything. They both thought that it could be because she was with her when Elsie had collapsed in her sitting room.

Elisabeth was very worried about the housekeeper but she was trying to hide it as she didn't want anyone to discover the truth yet. She wasn't ready yet and she needed her grandmother to be alright when everyone would learn the truth. She wasn't sure why the older woman hadn't told anyone about her family but she could understand it a little because it wasn't something nice what had happened to her all these years ago. She only hoped that when the butler learned the truth would still love her and not leave her. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard the cook calling her.

Anna had taken over for the cook to look after the housekeeper. She was placing compresses on her forehead to help the fever come down but she could see that it wasn't working at the moment. She had drifted off to sleep in the armchair next to her bed for half an hour when she was awakened by a sound. As she opened her eyes she saw the housekeeper tossing in her sleep, her forehead and hair damp for the sweat and seemed to be in discomfort. She sat on the bed trying to calm her down.

_She sighed in relief when that man had finished with her and left her alone lying on the ground under the tree. She was breathing heavily, her face was aching from the punches he had given her and her whole body was in pain from the… the rape. She wanted to stand up and go back to her room but she was in much pain and feeling so sore that she didn't have the strength to stand up. _

_The fear gripped her heart upon hearing footsteps that were coming nearer and nearer. She tried to stand up so she could hide for that person but she groaned and let out a cry of pain. She only hoped that it was a person who would help her get back to the house before that man would come back and do what he had done again. She sighed in relied when she heard the voice of the young woman that was working in the same house and shared the same room. "Oh my God!", she placed her hands in front of her mouth. "What happened Elsie?", she asked her but as she kneeled next to her she could see very well and very clear what had happened. _

_Elsie let the tears that she was holding back to fall freely and her body started shaking from her sobs and cries. Christina put her arms immediately around her body and started rocking her back and forth while she was rubbing soothing circles on her back to calm her down. She had been very worried when Elsie hadn't returned to the house and had decided to go out to search for her. _

_It was very difficult for Elsie to bury the past and what happened to her. It got even more difficult when almost three months later the doctor told her that she was pregnant. She decided to leave the house and live with her sister until the baby was born as the doctor told her that she was going to have a difficult pregnancy because of a little problem with her heart. The housekeeper was very sad that she was going to lose a very loyal and hard worker but she gave a very good reference so she could find a job in another house whenever she decided to work again._

_She had planned to leave her sister to raise the baby as her child while she would find works to be near to them so she could be in her child's life. Kathleen loved her aunt Elsie very much since she could remember herself. She was eleven years old when Elsie left Scotland to take the position of head housemaid at Downton for the Crawly family. She had cried so much as she watched the train leaving the station with her aunt inside. Elsie decided to tell her the whole truth when she was fifteen years old. So she took permission to leave for a month because her sister was ill. That would give her time to tell her daughter the truth and spend some time with her. _

_In the beginning Kathleen had left the house to live with her grandparents as she was very upset with her aunt Annie and her mother for doing that to her. It was her grandparents that convinced her to forgive the two women as they did what they thought better for her as Elsie was an unmarried young woman. The girl could understand very well why she wanted to have her aunt all for her every time she visited them. They were both very sad when the day came for Elsie to return at Downton but she promised to her daughter to visit her every year for a whole week at her birthday. _

_She had taken two weeks off to visit her daughter when she had written to a letter that she was getting married. She wanted to meet that young man that had won her daughter's heart and to make sure that he was the right man for her. She had managed to be at her wedding as they got married two days before she had to return to Downton. She had been so very happy when she had written to her telling her that she was pregnant with her first child. She was so glad that her daughter was married with a very nice young man and soon she would be holding her first baby in her arms. She was going to make sure to be the best grandmother to her grandchildren. _

_Elisabeth was her first grandchild and granddaughter. She had loved her the first second she saw her. She was her favourite granddaughter and she knew that the girl loved her very much. Every time she visited them she brought presents to her grandchildren and made sure to spend time with them. _

Anna was trying very hard to calm down the housekeeper but it was of no use. She remembered that the cook had told her about the powder the doctor gave them to calm down the housekeeper. She went into action immediately. She sighed in relief when she saw the older woman calming down slowly and slipping into a dreamless sleep. She could understand very well the discomfort the older woman was feeling as she had passed the same thing after her… rape almost a year ago. She only hoped that she would survive as she loved her like a mother.

**/-00-/**

They all sighed in relief when by the next morning the fever had broken down and she was getting better by the hours that were passing. Doctor Clarkson was very optimistic when he went to check on her and smiled at the relieved faces of Charles, Beryl and Anna.

It took Elsie almost two weeks to fully recover and return back to her routine. She was so glad that her granddaughter was working at the house as the new kitchen maid. The young woman had found a minute to go to the sitting room and have a few minutes with her grandmother as they had so many things to talk about. That same evening the two of them retired early in the housekeeper's bedroom so they could speak alone without fearing that anyone could hear them.

The morning found them sleeping together in the housekeeper's bed with wide smiles on their faces. Elsie had watched her granddaughter sleeping as she was thinking how she was going to tell Charles the truth and she was fearing his reaction. She could only hope that he would still love her and not leave her.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think! Any ideas, opinions, thoughts are very welcome! **

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Love: A very strong feeling

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and help me write this story! I intent to finish this story before Sunday 5 January as I have exams at uni and I will have to study! So, I plan to update every day so I can finish it in time! Let's go back to the story now! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine!**

Only a month had passed since her recovery from that nasty cold she had that almost cost her life. As she was thinking of that now she could feel the fear gripping her heart. It felt like the time when she was afraid that she had cancer and she would die. She had so many things yet to do and say. She wanted to spend more time with her daughter and her grandchildren, she wanted to spend the rest of her life married to the man she loved since the first day she came here to Downton. First things first, she had to tell Charles the whole truth about what had happened to her forty one years ago and what was the result of that.

She and Kathleen had decided to tell Elisabeth the truth about her mother and grandmother when she was fifteen years old, that was only three years ago. The girl had spent the whole day after learning the whole truth crying in her grandmother's arms. She was feeling so sad that something like that had happened to the woman she adored and admired so much. Kathleen had been afraid that her daughter would hate her or be disgusted from the truth but was relieved when the girl had told them that she loved and admired them even more.

She planned to tell him the truth tomorrow afternoon as it happened to be their half day off. She would ask him to go for a walk in the gardens of the estate and she would tell him the whole truth. She only hoped that he would still love her and want to be with her. She sent a silent prayer to God and returned to her work as they had a busy day with the Dowager and Mrs. Crawly coming for dinner tonight.

**/-00-/**

Only a month had passed since her recovery but he was still a little worried about her. He had noticed that something was troubling her very much that affected her and he was curious and confused as everything was very good for them before the day she collapsed in her sitting room in the arms of the new kitchen maid. Suddenly, his thoughts stopped there at the new kitchen maid. He had noticed that the young woman had the resemblance of a younger Elsie and he was wondering if some sort of relationship was bonding the new kitchen maid and the housekeeper of Downton Abbey.

He discovered that something must bond the two women as the resemblance is very strong to be just a simple coincidence. He only hoped that Elsie would find the courage to open up to him and tell him what was troubling her so much. He decided to give her time as he knew that she would come to him when she was ready. He pushed all these thoughts away for now as he needed to concentrate in his work otherwise he would find himself without a work, although he very much doubted that.

**/-00-/**

He had to admit that he was a little relieved when she asked him to go for a walk outside in the gardens of the estate to spend together their half day off. He started getting worried that she had regretted her decision to be together but was so relieved to see that smile again on her face. He was glad that she had asked him to go for a walk as he wanted to ask her about the resemblance between her and the new kitchen maid, as he was so sure that something was bonding these two women.

He had offered her his arm as they started walking and she had accepted it with a smile on her face. They were walking in silence until they saw a bench. "Could we sit down for a bit, Charles?", she asked him and he was a little worried upon seeing the seriousness on her face.

"Of course!", they walked to the bench and waited for her to sit down first before sitting next to her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in order to calm the nerves she had because she was going to reveal him the truth. She took a few more deep breaths before opening her eyes and looking him straight in the eyes. "Charles, I wanted us to go for a walk as I want to confess you something very important about me.", she held up her hand when he opened his mouth to speak. "Please, Charles. First, hear everything I have to say and then we will talk about it.", she took another deep breath after he nodded.

She knew very well how difficult it was going to be for her to tell something like that to the man she loved for thirty years now. "I was eighteen years old and my sister was twenty when she got married with Timothy. Only a year later my sister had a beautiful two months old baby daughter. That was when my parents started talking to me about finding a young man to get married and have my own family like my sister. I didn't want to get married so soon as I wanted to work as a housemaid in a house. I started searching for a position and with the help of my sister I found one in a house to a village almost two hours away from our house. I was so happy to do something that would help me to earn my own money.", she had a smile on her face at that point and noticed the smile on his face.

"I had my 20th birthday only a month ago when I had my day off and I decided to visit my sister to spend some time with them. I had a very lovely day with them, especially with my niece that didn't want to leave from my arms. She made me want a child of my own but I knew that I wasn't yet ready to get married and have children of my own. I left them when it started getting dark outside as I wanted to return early to the house to get some more rest.", at this point she took a deep breath to calm down her heart that was beating like mad. "In the way to return to the house I was stopped by a tall and strong man. I tried to pass him and run the rest of the way to the house but he grabbed me from the arm and drugged me to a tree. I tried to hit him so I could escape but he punched me on the face.", tears started falling from her eyes as the memories of that night came back. "He punched me a second time as I was struggling. At that point I stopped struggling and prayed for the whole thing to end soon.", she stopped there and more tears started falling from her eyes while her body was shaking from her sobs.

Charles was so shocked with what he had just heard. A man had dared to attack that beautiful and wonderful woman that was sitting right now next to him crying. He wanted so much to find that man and kill him. A loud sob from her brought him out of his murderous thoughts and back to the reality. He immediately put his arms around her shaking body and held her tightly to him. He was rocking her back and forth while he was humming a song to her and rubbing soothing circles on her back to calm her.

After a while her sobs had subsided and she wasn't shaking anymore but he kept holding her tightly to his body. He knew that she hadn't finished and feared what her answer would be at the question he was about to ask her. "Elsie, my darling. Did that… that… that man left you… pregnant?", he was so afraid of her answer and when it came with a simple nod of her head against his chest he wanted once more to kill that man. "Oh my darling girl.", he started rocking her back and forth when she started crying and shaking again.

After a few minutes he felt a sudden weight in his arms and discovered that she had fainted from all of this. Slowly he picked her up in his arms and started walking towards the back door. As he entered the house from the back door he was face in face with the cook who was looking very worried. "Oh my God! What happened?", she asked full of concern.

"She fainted while we were outside taking a walk.", he looked down at Elsie who was still unconscious and very very pale. "Can you call the doctor and get him upstairs when he arrives?", he left her when she nodded and went upstairs to the housekeeper's room.

"What happened, Mrs. Patmore?", Elisabeth asked the older woman as she entered the kitchen and noticed that she was very worried.

"Mrs. Hughes fainted while she was outside with Mr. Carson. I called for the doctor to come.", she informed the concerned young woman.

"What?", she was very worried now about her grandmother. She left what she was doing and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?", the cook asked her very confused about her reaction.

Charles had already changed Elsie's clothes and tacked her under the covers by the time Elisabeth arrived in the housekeeper's room. She stood next to her bed looking at her very pale grandmother and a few tears escaped from her eyes. She sat on the bed and looked up at the confused butler. "What happened to my grandmother?", she asked him and watched as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

He was ready to ask her what she was meaning with that when the door opened and the doctor entered. After Charles told him what happened along with the young woman left the room and waited outside in the corridor. He didn't want to ask her while they were outside in the corridor and they waited for the doctor to come out. "It was only a sudden drop of blood pressure. She needs to stay in bed today and tomorrow. She will be able to go back to her routine in two days time.", the doctor told them and left the house.

The butler and the kitchen maid entered the room again. She sat down on the bed while he sat down in the armchair next to the bed. He took a deep breath to calm. "If she is your grandmother that means that she had the child and that child got married and has children.", he told her.

Elisabeth understood that her grandmother told him about what had happened to her all these years ago but she fainted before she could tell him what happened after she find out that she was pregnant. "Yes, Mr. Carson.", she said and looked him in the eyes. She could see very clear the love and the worry for the woman that was laying unconscious in the bed. "She left the house she was working when she found out that she was pregnant because the doctor had told her that she was going to have a difficult pregnancy because of a little problem with her heart. She took a very good reference from the housekeeper to have it when she wanted to found a job again. She decided to leave the baby to grandmother Annie to raise it as her child. She gave birth to a daughter and named her Kathleen, my mother.", she stopped for a minute to calm and noticed how sad he was feeling. "My mother was eleven years old when granny left Scotland to come to work here and they were both very sad. Granny and grandmother Annie decided to tell the truth to my mother when she was fifteen years old. In the beginning she left the house and went to her grandparents but they managed to convince her to forgive the two women as they only did what was good for her.", she could see that he was a little confused and curious as to how she knew the whole story so detailed. "Mum, granny and grandmother Annie told me the whole truth and story when I was fifteen years old, three years ago.", she answered his unasked question and smiled at him.

No one spoke for a while, they just stood there looking at Elsie who was sleeping. "So, did you grandmother tell you about the position as a kitchen maid here?", he asked her and saw her smiling.

"No, Mr. Carson.", she answered him. "Granny didn't know that I had sent a letter to have an interview for the job. She was very surprised, shocked and confused to see me sitting in her sitting room with a smile on my face. I guess the surprise to see me here wanting to work as a kitchen maid was another reason for her collapse that day.", she looked very sad now and a few tears escaped. "I worked for a year for a member of the royal family and the housekeeper there gave me a very good reference.", she looked him at that point and chuckled at his shocked and surprised face.

"You worked for a member of the royal family? That's why Mrs. Patmore hired you at once.", he said and joined her laughter.

"I am very happy for you and granny, Mr. Carson.", she chuckled again at his confused face. "Granny always wrote a little about you in her letters and seeing how worried you were when she was ill I understood immediately that it was you that man my granny loves all these years.", she looked back at her grandmother for a moment. "I was very happy when she told me when she recovered that you two had confessed your feelings and are planning to get married in the near future.", she looked down at her hands now. "You are a very good man, Mr. Carson. It would have been so nice if you were my mother's father and my grandfather.", she let her tears fall freely and was surprised when she saw his hands taking hold of hers and looking her with so much love.

"I can assure you that I would love it very much if I was your mother's father and your grandfather.", he lifted her face so she could look at him. "Since your granny and I are going to get married in the near future you will become my granddaughter and if it is your wish you can call me grandpa from now on,", he smiled warmly at her. ", but only in private and not in front of the others until your granny decides to reveal her past to the others.", he was a little surprised when she hugged him so tightly.

"Thank you for taking care of my grandmother and loving her all these years… grandpa.", she hugged him tightly and even placed a soft kiss on his cheek when they pulled away.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think of this chapter! Any opinions, ideas, thoughts are very welcome!**

**To Be Continued…**


	5. The Announcement

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and even some times change a little the process of the story! Now on with the story! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine. **

The first rays of the sun entered the bedroom enlightening the whole room and awakening the housekeeper. She was so confused as to what had happened. She was ready to raise her hand to place it on her head but she was stopped as it was feeling so heavy. Someone was holding her hand but who? She turned her head to her right to see who was there and found him asleep in her armchair. She tried to raise her other hand but it was heavy as well. As she turned her head to her left she found her granddaughter sitting on the floor with her head on the bed sleeping. She couldn't help but smile at this. The man she loved and her granddaughter were at her side holding her hands.

"Charles?", she whispered as she turned her head to his direction. "Charles?", she whispered again and this time shaking his hand a little to wake him up.

He almost jumped up to the ceiling as he felt someone shaking his hand and he looked startled at the housekeeper worried that she was worse but found her awake with a smile on her face. "Elsie.", he said in a low voice as he noticed that Elisabeth was still sleeping. "How are you feeling my darling?", he placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

"Much better thank you.", she smiled widely at him. "What happened exactly yesterday, Charles?", she was a little confused as the only thing she remembered was being in his arms while they were sitting on a bench.

"You fainted in my arms and I brought inside. Beryl called for doctor Clarkson to come to check on you. I was very surprised when Elisabeth came inside and asked what had happened to her grandmother.", he gave her a glare. "You fainted before you could tell me if you have given birth to that child and what happened next. So, I asked Elisabeth who understood that you had told me and she told me the last part of the story. That young woman,", he said and pointed at Elisabeth with a smile. "loves you, adores you and admires you very much, Elsie.", he gave a little squeeze to her hand.

"She was shocked when we told her the truth three years ago but she told us that she loved us and admired us even more.", she let a few tears escape her eyes and smiled when he reached to wipe them.

At that moment Elisabeth began to stir and they were watching her with smiles on their faces. Suddenly, Elisabeth remembered where she was and looked quickly towards her grandmother. She was so glad to found her awake and smiling. "How are you feeling, granny?", she asked her with her voice full of concern.

They had to smile upon noticing the concern in the young woman's voice. "I am much better, thank you.", she was taken by surprise when her arms filled with her granddaughter. She was again surprised when she felt her shaking and sobbing in her arms. "It's alright, Bethy. I am fine and I won't go anywhere, darling.", she felt how she stopped sobbing and shaking slowly. She wiped the tears from her face when the young woman pulled away from the embrace.

"Elisabeth.", it was Charles who spoke now and she turned her head to his direction. "Everything is going to be fine. Remember what we talked about yesterday.", he smiled warmly at her.

"Yes, grandpa.", she returned his smile.

"Grandpa?", came the shocked voice of Elsie. "Did I lose something or my memory starts to fail me?", she was confused now. Since when Elisabeth calls Charles 'grandpa'?

The two of them chuckled at that and started laughing making Elsie more confused and upset with them. After a few minutes they stopped laughing and took deep breaths to calm down. "I told Elisabeth that since we are going to get married soon, I will become her grandfather and she could call me 'grandpa' from now on if she wished.", Charles explained to her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Oh Charles!", tears started falling once more. "Thank you so much!", she found herself in the middle of her love and her granddaughter as the two of them hugged her.

"I hate to ruin such happiness but we have to talk about something, Elsie.", he said after they pulled away from the embrace. "I don't want to hide our love anymore and I am sure that you don't want to hide anymore that you have a daughter and that this lovely young woman here", he pointed at Elisabeth. "is your granddaughter.", he finished and looked at the two women.

"You are right, Charles. I don't want that either.", she knew that it would be difficult to explain to the family with what way she has a daughter but she would have Charles and Elisabeth at her side. They were going to be her strength. "Please arrange a meeting with the family in two days time. You and Elisabeth are going to be there with me when I have to tell the family about my past.", she also knew very well that neither would leave her alone in this.

**/-00-/**

Two days later Elsie was back to her routine noticing how happy Elisabeth and Charles were to see her up and about. They had decided to tell the truth at Beryl first so she could help them later on when they would announce to the staff about their upcoming marriage and that Elisabeth is her granddaughter. After the servant's breakfast was over and the family's breakfast was over as well Charles came down so they could speak with Beryl. Elsie took a deep breath and went to the kitchen.

"Daisy can you handle here alone for a while? I need to speak with Mrs. Patmore and Elisabeth in my sitting room.", she noticed that the cook was looking at her very curious and confused.

"Of course, Mrs. Hughes. There won't be a problem.", Daisy said to the housekeeper with a smile but a little worried about what was happening and why the housekeeper wanted the cook and the new kitchen maid.

"Thank you, Daisy.", she returned the smile of the young woman. "Mrs. Patmore, Elisabeth please follow me to my sitting room.", she told them and went to her sitting room.

Once Charles, Elsie, Beryl and Elisabeth were in the sitting room, Charles closed the door and sat next to the housekeeper. They could see how concerned the cook was looking but they had to do that as they were going to need her help.

"Beryl, we wanted to speak with you because we have a few things to tell you.", Charles spoke first and took hold of Elsie's hand as he noticed that she was shaking a little. "Elsie and I are going to get married soon.", he finally said and watched how the cook smiled widely at that.

"Well, it was about time to do something about that love of yours.", she laughed and the other three joined her. Once they stopped she could see that they wanted to tell her something that was very serious. "I gather that this wasn't the only thing you wanted to tell me.", they were all very serious now.

"You are right, Beryl.", Elsie spoke for the first time since they had entered the sitting room. "The young woman that is sitting next to me right now, Elisabeth Blunder…", she took hold of her granddaughter's hand and took a deep breath. "is… my granddaughter.", she said and they waited for the other woman's reaction.

"What? Your granddaughter?", she was really surprised now. "But how? I don't understand.", she had a feeling that it was going to be a sad story.

Tears were falling from their eyes as Elsie was telling what had happened to her all these years ago. After she had finished they were all sitting in silence as Beryl was trying to process what she had just heard from the woman she considered a friend, a sister.

"I am so sorry, Elsie.", Beryl managed to say after a while. "If I had that man in front of me now I could kill him.", she said with anger and was surprised to see Charles chuckling.

"I had the same thought when she told me.", he explained to her.

"What are you going to do now?", she asked them.

"We wanted to tell you first as we are going to need your help when we will announce to the staff that Charles and I are getting married and that Elisabeth is my granddaughter.", she answered her friend's question. "We have to go to our meeting with the family.", they all stood up.

Beryl hugged Elsie and then left them to return to her kitchen. Elsie took her granddaughter's hand and the three of them went upstairs for their meeting with the family. The family gave them their best wishes about their wedding and that made the butler and the housekeeper very happy as they were going to get married and continue working at the house. However, Elsie was ready to collapse once more when she told the family about what had happened to her after informing them that Elisabeth was her granddaughter. Charles managed to catch her before she could lose all consciousness while Robert brought a glass of water to her. Cora, Mary and Edith were crying silently after hearing what had happened to their housekeeper while Robert and Tom were feeling murderous for the man that had done that to such a wonderful and caring woman.

As the three of them left the library to go down to inform the staff they saw Violet and Isobel entering the library with confusion written all over their faces upon seeing the housekeeper in tears and the butler with a young woman holding her. The two women were the next ones to cry silently when they were told everything. They were very happy that at last the butler and the housekeeper had found the courage to confess their feelings and soon they were going to get married but they were also very sad that something so horrible had happened to that wonderful, caring and kind woman that was the housekeeper of Downton Abbey.

Downstairs they were all wondering how the new kitchen maid was the granddaughter of the housekeeper but a glare from the cook and the butler stopped them from making any questions. The only one that learnt the whole truth was Anna that had gone to speak with the housekeeper. The two women had a very nice relationship of mother and daughter which only grew stronger after Anna had learnt the whole truth and her suspicions were confirmed.

That evening Charles, Elsie, John, Anna, Beryl and Elisabeth were in the sitting room talking and making plans for the wedding and the future while sharing a glass of wine that Charles was keeping in his private collection. They were like a small family and they were very happy together.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think of this chapter! Opinions, thoughts and ideas are very welcome! Next chapter Charles is meeting Kathleen and her family and the wedding!**

**To Be Continued…**


	6. Becoming a part of the family

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and even change a bit the process of the story! This chapter is for LadyMary33 who, as a fan of Daisy, wanted me to somehow add her as a part of the small family! Thank you for your idea! Now… on with our story… Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine. **

She knew very well that in two days time she would become Mrs. Carson and she would need to rest well but she just couldn't sleep for one second. She would close her eyes willing for the sleep to come but she couldn't. She wasn't feeling very comfortable now, so she stood up and started pacing inside her room trying to find something to do as she was feeling so bored, so distressed. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind and she started getting dressed as she did every morning in order for her day to begin.

She was all dressed up and headed downstairs to her sitting room. It would be better to start her day with doing some paper work than sitting in her room and doing nothing. She was surprised to hear some noise when she reached the bottom of the last flight of stairs. She stopped for a moment to hear what was that and was even more surprised to find that someone was crying. She silently followed the noise that leaded her to the servant's hall in the far corner. As she slowly approached that person she was shocked to find Daisy curled up in the corner and crying.

"Oh my God!", she whispered to herself. She slowly approached the girl and sat down beside her. "Daisy, what's the matter?", she didn't get an answer instead her arms were filled with the shaking body of the young woman. She started rocking her back and forth while rubbing soothing circles on her back to calm her. It seemed to work as after a while the sobs had subsided and she wasn't shaking anymore. She looked down and found that the young woman had fallen asleep in her arms. That moment someone appeared in the servants hall and she was glad that it was him.

"What happened, Elsie?", he asked her in a low voice as he noticed that Daisy was sleeping in the housekeeper's arms.

"Can you please carry her to her bedroom?", she asked him instead of answering his question as she didn't know herself the answer.

Charles didn't ask further questions and simply picked Daisy up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom with Elsie following them. In the same was Elisabeth who was still sleeping as she had the morning off to rest a little more after the cold she had caught. Charles watched as Elsie laid down next to Daisy and took the young woman in her arms. He didn't say anything and left them.

An hour later Daisy woke up confused as to how she had ended up in her bedroom and sleeping in the housekeeper's arms. She turned her head to look at Elsie who had slept only a few minutes ago and then she looked at Elisabeth who was still sleeping. She was jealous of the young woman as she had a lovely family. She had parents that loved her, she had siblings younger than her that loved her and she had a grandmother that loved her and was the housekeeper of Downton Abbey. She was jealous because she didn't have any family left, as she was an only child and her parents died a few years after the war began. She hadn't noticed that the older woman had woken up and was watching her with a sad expression on her face.

"Daisy?", she whispered and drew the young woman's attention. "Can you tell me what caused the earlier break down?", she was looking at her with kindness and love.

"I am jealous of Elisabeth, Mrs. Hughes.", she said as she looked down at her hands.

"But why?", Elsie was a little confused now and she only hoped that after that she could do something to help her.

"She has a lovely family. She has her parents, her siblings and she has you, her grandmother.", she explained to the older woman and she let new tears to fall freely. "I don't have anyone. I am an only child and I lost my parents two years after the war began.", she started sobbing and shaking.

Elsie took her in her arms once more as she now understood what had caused her to break down in tears. She started rocking back and forth while rubbing soothing circles on her back and placing soft kisses on her head.

"You have a family here at Downton even if your parents aren't here anymore.", she smiled at Daisy who had lifted her head to look at the older woman. "I have a daughter, Daisy but she didn't grow up by my side. My sister raised her as her child until the age of fifteen when we told her the truth. I have four grandchildren that I love very much but they don't grow up by my side. On the contrary I have two daughters that I raised in a way. Anna and you.", she was happy to the young woman smiling at that. "Anna is working here for twenty-two years now and you for fifteen years. In a way I raised you, Daisy and I would like you to remember that we all love you very much. My Kathleen will be so happy to meet you and Anna, the two girls I write about in my letters and she knows very well that in a way you are my daughters.", she said and pulled her in her arms.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hughes.", Daisy told her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"In two days I am getting married with Mr. Carson. I would like you to sit in the front with my family and Anna. You are a part of my family, a part of our little family downstairs.", she placed a soft kiss on her forehead, like a mother would do when she would comfort her daughter and wiped her tears.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hughes.", Daisy said and returned the kiss.

All the while they two women hadn't noticed that Elisabeth was awake and was hearing them. She had her eyes closed but she was crying silently as she knew very well that her grandmother was telling only the truth and she was so glad that the young members of the staff here in Downton had her as a mother figure while they were away from their families or didn't have any family. A sob escaped her drawing the attention of the two women.

"Elisabeth?", Elsie asked in a low and soft voice.

Elisabeth opened her eyes to look at her grandmother and in a matter of seconds she was crying in her arms. After a while her sobs had subsided and pulled away from her grandmother.

"I am sorry but I woke up and heard you speaking.", she turned to face Daisy. "Welcome to the family, Daisy.", she said and hugged tightly the young woman. "Granny is right. You are a part of our family, a part of the family here.", she took Daisy's hands and smiled at her warmly. "Now I am a little jealous because you had my granny every day here while we could have her only for a week per year.", she said seriously and they all started laughing.

The three women spent the rest of the morning talking and making plans for the wedding. The two young women agreed to help Elsie get ready on her wedding day. Daisy thanked them both for their words, their support and their love and they went downstairs together to have lunch. Daisy knew that she was a part of a family now, even if it wasn't her biological family it was a family she had chosen and loved very much.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think of this chapter! LadyMary33 thank you for your idea/opinion about Daisy! I hope I didn't disappoint you! Next chapter Charles meets Kathleen and maybe… the wedding! **

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Having a father

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me! I would like to wish to everyone a Happy New Year! May the new year bring whatever happiness the year before didn't bring! Now… on with our story!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine!**

She woke up and looked up at the ceiling. It was her last day as a free woman because from tomorrow she would be Mrs. Carson and this worried her a little. It's wasn't that she didn't love him or that she wouldn't be happy with him, her problem was the first time they would make love and that worried her very much as her first time was that… that… that night. She shook her head a little to clear the memories of the past and started thinking again about the present and the future.

Today she was going to see her daughter after almost two years as she couldn't go this year because of the London season. She was going to see her daughter and her grandchildren. Wait a minute. Her daughter? Her grandchildren? She got out of the bed so quickly that she had to grasp the headboard to steady herself from the sudden dizziness. She started getting ready for the day with a smile on her face. She was so thankful to the family for offering to have her family to stay here at the house for a whole week. Although, she was very sad as her sister, her only sister, wasn't able to come to the wedding.

It was her dream after she gave birth to her daughter that if one day in the future she would find a good man and get married, she wanted her daughter and her sister by her side at the wedding. Now that the day she was dreaming since she met Charles Carson finally had come, her sister couldn't come because her husband was ill and couldn't cope without her for two days. She wiped her eyes from the tears she had let fall and made her way downstairs.

Charles had noticed that something was bothering her and he was wondering if it was because her sister couldn't come for the wedding. He wanted nothing more than take her in his arms and hold her tight so he could comfort her and give her his strength. He was also very nervous and worried about his meeting today with Kathleen. He was going to meet the daughter of the woman he loved and was going to get married with tomorrow. He had already liked the young woman from the descriptions Elsie had told him but he was wondering if she would like him.

**/-00-/**

It was time for them to leave the house so they could go to the train station in time to welcome Kathleen and her family. Robert had given the housekeeper, the butler and the kitchen maid the rest of the day off to spend it with their family. Elsie could sense his nervousness in his body as she was holding his hand. She knew very well that he was still nervous about meeting her daughter, even if she had reassured him that she would like him from the beginning.

"Charles, please don't be so nervous.", she squeezed his arm and smiled up at him.

"Grandpa, calm down. Mum isn't going to have your head. She will like you just I did.", she reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

He smiled down at his… granddaughter and they continued their way to the train station. It was going to be a long day, he thought. At the moment they arrived they heard the train coming closer and closer to the station and he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He watched as his future wife and granddaughter walked to greet the others when they spotted them in the crowd. He was taking deep breaths to calm down but he only got more nervous when he noticed them coming towards him.

"Kathleen, let me introduce you to Charles Carson.", she said with a smile to her daughter.

Kathleen looked up at the tall man that her mother loves all these years and she could see very well that he was a very good man and he was going to make her mother very happy.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Mr. Carson.", she reached and gave him a hug.

Charles felt very weird with that gestured but he didn't pull away and enjoyed the moment. He smiled down at her when they finally pulled away.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, too, Kathleen.", he said and felt a little relaxed, especially when Elsie took hold of his hand.

They all left the train station and walked towards the teashop to have some time for them to get to know each other more before they would go up to the house to settle in.

**/-00-/**

It was almost four o'clock in the morning. For some reason Charles couldn't sleep very well and decided to go downstairs to the kitchen to make a nice cup of tea to help him go back to sleep. He was surprised to find the light on in her sitting room and hearing voices from inside the room. As he walked silently towards the door he could recognize those two voices. One person was Elsie and the other was Kathleen and from what he gathered Kathleen was crying in her mother's arms. He stepped in his pantry when he heard Elsie leaving the sitting room and going upstairs. He decided to go to see if Kathleen was alright and then he would go upstairs to get some sleep.

"Kathleen, are you alright?", he asked her in a soft, low voice as he entered the sitting room.

The young woman was startled thinking that she was alone now that her mother had gone upstairs to sleep a little more. She wiped quickly her eyes and was ready to stand up when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"I am sorry, Mr. Carson.", she apologized for her state trying to control her tears but without success.

"Don't worry, Kathleen. Would you like to tell why you are in your mother's sitting room crying while you should be upstairs sleeping and feeling happy for your mother's wedding in about… seven hours?", he asked her softly and with a smile on his face.

She opened her mouth to tell him that she was fine but she couldn't lie to him. For some reason he was making her feel like she was sitting across her father who she trusted him and wanted to tell him everything that was happening to her. Thinking that she would love to have him as a father, even though she only knew him for ten hours now, she started crying again and shaking.

He was a little surprised by her reaction but he gathered that she was trusting him enough to show him her real emotions and the only thing he could do was what he had done with his Elsie when she was like that since they were together. He put his arms around her and held her tightly while rubbing soothing circles on her back to calm her. That seemed to work as after a while her sobs had subsided and she had stopped shaking. He still kept rubbing soothing circles on her back as she seemed to like it. Suddenly, she pulled away from him and wiped her teary eyes.

"Oh! I am so sorry, Mr. Carson!", she apologized to him again

"Kathleen you don't have to apologize for anything. I just wish you could tell what is troubling you because I know that something is troubling you. You can trust me.", he said with a reassuring smile.

"I… It's just… It's just…", she took a deep breath to calm before she started again. "I just remembered what my mum went through all these years ago. She was so unhappy, so miserable, but she tried not to show it in front of me, until she came here. The first time she came to visit us after she had started working here was the first time I remember seeing her with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes. Now I know that it was because she had met you and fell in love with you. I am so glad to see her so happy. She was always writing about you in her letters and I was feeling like I know you.", new tears started falling from her eyes. "I wish… you were… my father…", she said between her sobs.

Charles was wishing the same thing since Elsie had told him what a kind woman is her daughter and knowing Elisabeth he was sure that Kathleen was like her daughter. He was wishing that he could have been there all these years ago so he could do something to prevent what had happened. Kathleen's sobs brought him out of his thoughts and he hugged her immediately. He was hurting so much that he was seeing those three women so hurt by that horrible night. He wished he could do something to make it go away but he only could do one thing: give his love to the three women and do everything in his power to make them happy.

"You can call me papa from now on if you want.", the words were out of his mouth before he could understand it but he didn't regret them as they were said with all the love and the kindness from his heart.

"Thank you… papa.", she said with a smile when they pulled apart from the embrace.

Charles smiled back at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He helped her stand up from the chair and leaded her to the bedroom where she was sleeping with her husband. He placed a soft paternal kiss on her forehead.

"Go to sleep. We have a big happy day coming and I don't want you tired in the wedding.", he smiled at her and left her to go to his room.

He managed to sleep within minutes as he was feeling a lot better than when he went downstairs. He was sure that Kathleen was going to talk to her mother when she would wake up and couldn't wait to find out her reaction. They were going to be a family and he wanted his family to be happy.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think of this chapter! Next chapter we have the wedding and the wedding night! **

**To Be Continue…**


	8. Wedding bells

**A/N: Thank you very much for your reviews! I decided to give you a little treat and update another chapter because on Saturday I won't be home for almost all day and I won't be able to update a chapter and I really want this story to be finished until Sunday as I have a new story coming within the next week. My exams also begin in a week and I have to study! Now… on with our story! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama isn't mine! If Downton belonged to me I would a happy person!**

She woke up when she felt someone shaking her and when she opened her eyes she found her daughter, her granddaughters, Beryl, Anna and Daisy looking at her with wide smiles. She wasn't very pleased to be awaken by that way but she couldn't help but smile as it was her wedding day. She was going to get married with the man she loved for… for thirty years now. My, my it was a long time indeed and she was very glad that the day she was dreaming for thirty years had finally come. She got out of the bed and went to have a bath in order to relax as she was nervous while the others were in her bedroom and started getting dressed.

Charles woke up when he felt someone shaking him and when he opened his eyes he found Michael, he was Kathleen's husband, looking at him with a smile. He wasn't very glad to be awaken by that way but he was very happy because it was his wedding day. He got out of his bed, picked up all his things and followed the younger man to another bedroom as it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. That's why he had avoided going in the sitting room last night with her there.

An hour later Elsie was standing in front of a full-length mirror looking at herself. She wanted something very simple as she was sixty-one years old with a daughter and four grandchildren. She had gone to Ripon and even to Yorkshire with Anna to have a look at the wedding dresses that were now in fashion. She had decided to buy the necessary things to make her own wedding dress with the help of Anna and Mrs. Baxter. The two women were so very happy to help the housekeeper make her own wedding dress. She was now standing in front of the mirror looking at the result of their work. It wasn't actually a wedding dress but the result seemed like it was. It was a light cream blouse with three-quarters sleeves and a v neckline. The skirt was a tone darker than the blouse and it started just at her waist, that was thin enough for a woman in her age, and ended just above the ankle. She had a very nice brooch from her mother that was pinned on the waistband of the skirt. Her hair wasn't the usual hairstyle she did the last two years but something that was making her look younger. They had pinned it up like she did every day but a little looser this time and some small curls were hanging. It was making her more beautiful and much younger. They had applied light rouge on her cheeks and a light lipstick on her lips that were completing the whole styling.

She smiled widely as her daughter appeared behind her and put her arms around her mother's waist. She placed a kiss on her cheek and they just stood for a few moments like this. The shouting of Beryl made them all laugh heartily and they started getting downstairs where Michael and Edward, her oldest grandson that was fifteen years old, were waiting for them. Elsie stopped at her tracks in the middle of the hall when she saw her sister standing next to Mary and Edith with a smile on her face.

"Annie?", her voice was low, almost a whisper from the shock and felt her legs very weak.

Kathleen and Elisabeth run towards her and managed to catch her before she could hit the floor and lose all consciousness. The others run towards her as well wanting to make sure that she only fainted from the shock of seeing her sister. Elsie was slowly gaining consciousness and saw her sister kneeling beside her very worried. Tears started falling from her eyes as she hugged her sister tightly. A few moments later they pulled apart.

"Are you feeling alright, Els?", the older woman asked as Michael helped Elsie get back on her feet.

"Yes, yes. It was just the shock of seeing you here.", she smiled reassuringly at her sister. "But you said you couldn't come.", she was a little confused and curious now.

"It was our surprise for you, Mrs. Hughes.", it was Edith who answered to Elsie. "We had noticed how sad you were because your sister couldn't come at the wedding, so Mary and I decided to arrange it so she could be present at your wedding.", she approached the housekeeper with tears in her eyes and hugged her.

Elsie was even more surprised when Mary hugged her as well after Edith had pulled away from her. Neither was fond of the other but somehow they had managed to get on very well since the younger woman had lost her husband. Mary had found the housekeeper many times in the nursery room playing, singing and rocking the children to sleep. The nanny had told her when she had asked her that the housekeeper would go to the nursery almost every day to have some time with the children and that gave her some free time to rest. Mary was very grateful for the older woman for taking care of a fatherless and a motherless child.

"Thank you for taking care of my son, Mrs. Hughes.", she whispered in the older woman's ear as she let a few tears fall from her eyes.

Elsie looked confused at the younger woman when they pulled away from the embrace and smiled warmly when Mary gave her a knowing look and a smile. They all walked towards the cars that were waiting outside the front door. Mary had another surprise of her own as she sat in the back seat with Elsie while Michael and Edward were sitting in front with the driver.

**/-00-/**

"And now I pronounce you husband and wife.", the vicar announced to the happy couple. "Mr. Carson, you can kiss the bride.", he told to Charles.

Charles looked for a few moments at the woman in front of him, his Elsie, his wife. Slowly he leaned forward and kissed her with all his love and passion as the others were clapping happily. They had left the church together with their family behind them. Robert and Cora had surprised them again by telling them that they were going to have a very nice celebration at the gardens of the estate. Everyone was going to enjoy the lovely day and celebration.

The happy new couple had danced its first dance and then went to sit down as they were feeling a little tired. Charles was surprised and confused when Mary came to their table with George in her arms and sat beside them. She placed a kiss on her son's forehead before giving him to Elsie to hold him for a while. Charles was still looking at the two women very confused as to what was happening. The two women chuckled upon seeing the confusion on his face.

"Dear Carson, as I have found out your lovely wife here has been taking care of my son and little Sybbie from the beginning. I have found her and heard her many times in the nursery room playing, singing and rocking to sleep the children and I am very grateful for that.", she said with a smile that warmed Charles heart.

He knew very well that the women weren't fond of each other but something had changed in Elsie in her opinion for the young man that day when they learnt the happy news of George's birth and the sad news of Matthew's death. He had found her himself a few times in the nursery room and it had warmed his heart. She always had a soft spot for the children, even for Mary when she was a child. They laughed when they spotted little Sybbie running as fast as her little legs could towards the newlyweds. The little girl reached them and stopped next to Elsie's chair.

"Up!", she demanded with a smile on her face.

Elsie laughed and smiled at the girl and did as she had asked after giving little George to Charles to hold him for a while. Mary stood up smiling at the lovely scene the butler and the housekeeper were making along with the little children in their arms and went to stand next to her family. All the Crawly family was watching this lovely scene with smiles and tears on their faces.

"Sybil and Matthew would have been so happy to watch this lovely scene.", it was Tom who spoke.

"Yes! Mrs. Hughes… sorry, Mrs. Carson, was always Sybil's favourite while Carson was always Mary's favourite.", Cora said with tears in her eyes as she remembered the times her youngest daughter, who wasn't with them now, had gone to her as a child to tell her how lovely the housekeeper was.

"Matthew respected them very much from the beginning.", it was Isobel who spoke. "I remember him telling me that they were making a lovely couple and a very good team in running the household.", she had tears in her eyes and laughed a little as she remembered the times her son was telling her that those two, meaning Carson and Mrs. Hughes, had to get married.

Kathleen was speaking with her family, Beryl, John, Anna and Daisy when her attention caught the lovely scene the Crawly family was watching so silently. She smiled upon seeing her parents, because Charles was her father according to her, playing with the two little children and laughing. It did so good to her seeing her mother so happy, laughing and smiling.

"She is so happy.", she said as a thought but she understood she had said it aloud because the others agreed with her.

"She wasn't smiling at all when she first came here but as the years were passing she started smiling and seemed to be happy.", Beryl informed the younger woman.

"She was always very cheerful as a child and very kind as a young woman. She lost her happiness, her sparkle and her smile that horrible night but after that night only her daughter brought her a smile.", Annie said and smiled as Kathleen turned to look at her. "She is happy now, lass.", the older woman told her niece with a smile.

They all kept looking at the lovely scene with smiles and tears on their faces, as each one of them had reasons to smile or to cry.

**Please, please, please review! I would like to know what you think of this chapter! Alright guys, we have two more chapters to go! Next chapter the wedding night and the following day!**

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Don't be afraid

**A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and help me write this story! This chapter was difficult for me to write it as I didn't, and I don't, know how a woman's first time with the man she loves is after she had been raped! So, please forgive me for anything out of reality! Now… on with our story!**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama, isn't mine. Kathleen and her family are my creation. **

He opened the door of their cottage with difficulty as he was holding his wife in his hands and pushed it open with his foot. He didn't lower her until they were in their cottage with the door closed and locked and a kiss full of passion and love. As they were lost in their passion and desire they started taking off each other's clothes. It was only minutes later that they pulled apart almost naked looking at each other in the eyes. Charles was standing in only his undershorts while she was standing in her corset and underwear. He was amazed by her full breasts and raised his hands to touch them.

She was enjoying his caresses and his touches until he cupped her breasts trying to free them from her corset. That action brought her back painful memories from that horrible night and brought as a result a cry of pain and backed away from him in defense. Seeing her reaction and understanding what might his action have caused her made him curse himself silently. He slowly approached her in order not to scare her and put his arms around her shaking body. She was fighting back in the beginning but soon she started to relax into his embrace.

He lifted her head with his hand and looked at her with a reassuring glare and smile. He took her hand and they made their way slowly upstairs to the bedroom. He was ready if anything caused her discomfort to take her in his arms and hold her until she relaxed again. She looked at the bed with hesitation. She wanted so much that physical union with Charles but she was afraid that the memories this first time would bring could cause him to be disgusted by her. She took a deep breath and walked towards the bed taking him with her. She laid down in the bed with a weak smile on her face waiting for him to take off the rest of her clothes.

He walked slowly towards her and kneeled beside her on the bed. He leaned down and started placing kisses all over her body until he reached the waistband of her underwear. They had managed to take off the corset while he was kissing her body. Slowly he pulled down the underwear while placing kisses at every inch of the skin that was being revealed. She couldn't deny that she was feeling very nervous as some memories appeared in her mind again but she was feeling something different inside her, something she couldn't quite explain what was like. She was sure for only one thing, she hadn't felt that sensation that horrible night. It was something that his kisses, his touches, his lips, his hands were bringing it to her and she wanted more, although she wasn't sure of what.

She had closed her eyes trying to concentrate on that sensation she had and heard him taking off his undershorts. He moved on top of her again and started placing kisses on her cheeks, her neck and around her breasts. He didn't want to push her too much yet and he was very gentle with what he was doing. He smiled as his member starting reacting at her body, at the sensations her body was bringing to him and leaned down to kiss her. She opened her eyes and gasped when she felt his hand on her sensitive area. She widened her eyes and looked at him.

"Charles?", she let out a low groan as she said his name.

"Just let it go, Elsie. I won't hurt you.", he said with a reassuring smile at his wife.

She returned his smile a little weak and tried to relax while his fingers were rubbing her sensitive area. She started relaxing and actually enjoying his actions until he entered two fingers inside her.

"Charles!", she cried out as she remembered that horrible night.

"Don't worry, Elsie. I want to replace those horrible memories of that night with pleasure memories of our night.", he didn't move his fingers as he wanted her to adjust to that feeling first.

Slowly she started to relax again and he started moving his fingers in and out, in and out. She was actually starting to enjoy it and was very surprised. She was a little disappointed when he took out his fingers but she gasped when she felt him enter her. He didn't move until she had adjusted to the feeling of him being inside her. He started moving in slow thrusts as he wanted to pleasure them both. After a while he could sense that they were both nearing their climax and started moving a little faster. They reached their climax together and stayed still enjoying being united like one.

"I love you, Mrs. Carson!", he told her with a smile.

"I love you, Mr. Carson!", she told him with a smile full of thanks and snuggled closer to his body while she was falling asleep.

**Please review! I would like to know what you think of this chapter! I know it's short but I wasn't so sure if I could make justice for their first time together! Next chapter the end!**

**To Be Continued…**


	10. Being Happy at Last

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! They really mean a lot to me and help me write this story! I'm sorry for delaying the update of this chapter – which is the last chapter of the story – but I had a little problem with my right hand and I couldn't write as I was in pain with every move I made! Now… on with the last chapter of our story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except from Elisabeth and her family!**

Charles started to stir and reached out his hand to place it around his wife's waist but he opened his eyes when he discovered that the side of the bed was empty. He was a little confused and looked at the watch on his night-table at his side. It was seven o'clock in the morning and his wife wasn't in the bed next to him. They had gotten married only yesterday and instead of spending a wonderful morning in their bed in each other's arms, he had to get out of the bed in search of his wife as he didn't have a clue or hearing anything that would give him an idea of where she was.

He got out of the bed, put on his robe and slippers and left their bedroom. He went to the bathroom but it was empty, he went to the other bedroom but found it empty. He sighed and went downstairs to search. He went to the sitting room but found it empty with only the sounds of the fire, he went to the kitchen but it was empty as well. This was beginning to upset him and was ready to leave the kitchen when he caught something from outside the window with the corner of his eye. As he watched from the window he found her sitting in the bench in their garden with her robe and slippers on looking in the sky with a smile on her face.

The sight of his wife smiling and looking so happy made him love her even more. She was looking so beautiful with the rays of the sun enlightening her face. She had left her hair down and he noticed that she had only brushed it a little. He watched her as she closed her eyes still with her head looking up and took a deep breath as the flowers in their garden filled her nose with their aroma. At that moment a very nice idea came to his mind and he was going to make it real at the very first opportunity he was going to have in the near future. He decided to join her and enjoy together the lovely weather.

"Good morning, Mrs. Carson!", he leaned down and kissed her on the lips before sitting down beside her.

"Good morning, Mr. Carson!", she took hold of his hand and had a wide smile on her face.

They sat there in silence for a while enjoying the sun, the aroma of the flowers and the happiness. She had moved closer to him, placing her head on his chest and her hand over his heart. After a while she pulled a little back and looked at him in the eyes.

"Charles.", she said his name with such softness and love. "I would like to thank you for the patience you showed last night in order to please me and replace those horrible memories with happier memories of the two of us.", she let the tears of happiness fall freely. "I love you so much, Charles.", she said and lowered her head as the tears continued falling.

He heart melted with love upon hearing those words from her. He was very happy that he had this lovely woman as his wife and he could help her bury her past for once and for all. He lifted her head with his hand and wiped her tears with his thumb.

"I love you, Elsie. I didn't want to see you hurting anymore or being afraid of making love with me. I wanted, and I still want, to replace all those horrible memories of that night with memories of happiness and pleasure. Every time we will make love, I will take my time to learn your body, to discover what pleasures you the most and to treat you like you deserve. You are a beautiful, caring and kind woman, Elsie.", he took her face in his hands and placed the softest kiss on her lips.

She smiled at him and put her arms around him. He held her tightly to him feeling happy that they were going to leave all the bad behind and live the rest of their lives happy with their family.

**/-00-/**

The time passed so quickly and it was summer again. The family had gone to London for the season and Charles had to go with them. Elsie was feeling alone in the house without him by her side but she wasn't all alone at least. Daisy and Elisabeth were staying at Downton so they could cook for the family and the staff that they had stayed behind. Tom had decided to stay behind with his daughter and join the family later. The nanny had gone with the family to look after little George so Elsie had the opportunity to spend more time with little Sybbie as her father was working in the mornings. She had made something like a small bed for the little girl in her sitting room so she could have somewhere to place her when she would feel tired or fall asleep in the housekeeper's arms.

Tom was very thankful for her help to take care the little care while he wasn't at the house. He had eaten with them various times as he hated eating alone in the dining room upstairs. Elsie was very thankful that they were trying to lift up her spirits as she was missing very much her husband but she couldn't help it when the evening came and she retired to their bedroom at the house. She had decided to stay at the house during the season as she didn't want to walk alone to their cottage. She had slept a few times in the nursery as Sybbie had caught a simple summer cold.

She was speaking to Charles almost every day through the telephone but she wanted so much for the season to end so she could have her husband back. The family was expected to come back in a month when she received a very surprising letter from Charles. He had asked the family if she could go to London for a week to stay with them and they had accepted. They had given them a day off to go anywhere they wanted in London and he had a surprise for her. She informed Tom about the decision and he had decided to join her in the trip along with his daughter.

She was even more surprised when he had pulled her along with him to a car in the first class and was ready to protest but he stopped her by telling her that he had promised to the butler to take good care of her. Sybbie hadn't wanted to leave the woman's arms and had fallen asleep on her lap through their trip to London. She remembered when she was holding her daughter in her arms all these years ago and was surprised that the daughter of Lady Sybil loved her so much as Lady Sybil herself loved the housekeeper.

**/-00-/**

She didn't know what to expect as they were making their way to a direction. Charles hadn't told her where they were going as it was his surprise for her. She was becoming a little frustrated but she decided to drop it and just let him lead her wherever he wanted. She was surprised when they arrived at the beach where they had gone almost a year ago along with the other staff in their day off. He watched her as she run off towards the sea. She stopped before she could reach the water and placed her things on the sand. She took off her shoes and stockings and ran towards the sea. She was so happy and laughing as the water was wetting her feet.

He walked towards the spot where she had left her things. He took of his jacket, his shoes and his shocks. He rolled up his trousers and walked towards her. He sighed in relief at the water wetted his feet and closed his eyes. She turned to look at him and smiled.

"Come on.", she had his attention now. "I dare ya!", she told him with a smile as he smiled as well while they remembered that conversation they had almost a year ago. He decided to play along.

"But if I get my trousers wet?", he asked her with hesitation.

"If you get them wet we'll dry them.", she tried very hard not to smile widely at him.

"Suppose I fall over.", he said next.

"Suppose a bomb goes off, suppose we're hit by a falling star…", she tried hard not roll her eyes as she had done last time. "You can hold my hand. Then we'll both go in together.", she looked down as she blushed.

"I thing I will hold your hand. It will make me feel a bit steadier.", he said and walked towards her slowly.

"You can always hold my hand if you need to feel steady.", she was looking down at this.

"I don't know how but you managed to make that sound a little risqué.", he told her as seriously as he could.

"And if I did…", she gave him her hand and he took it with a smile. "We're getting on Mr. Carson. You and I. We can afford to live a little.", she told him with a wide smile.

At that moment they both started laughing heartily. He leaned forward, still holding her hand and kissed her passionately. They broke apart when they needed to breathe. He placed another soft kiss on her lips and they started walking towards the sea. At some point he just turned her a little as he was holding her hand, picked her up in his arms and after a few moments he dropped her in the water. He started laughing heartily at this, he was glad that this time they had both dry clothes in the basket to change later. She came out of the water with a grin and determined. She started throwing water all over him. They continued to play in the water for the next hour and laughing heartily.

The staff had smiles on their faces when the butler and his wife arrived at the house just when it started getting dark outside with different clothes, wet hair and wide smiles on their faces. Only the ones that had gone last year to the beach with them understood where the butler had taken his wife for the day. That night Charles and Elsie slept together in each other's arms in the wee hours of the morning, after making love and laughing with the memories of the day they had. They were finally happy with the past all forgotten.

**THE END**

**Please review! I would like to know what you think of this last chapter! Did I make justice to them? Waiting your opinions! Thank you very much for your support through this story! A small surprise is coming in the evening!**


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